3.6.10

Chocolate Oatmeal Almost-Candy Bars


Leave it to me to justify any dessert as having some form of health or nutritional value. Some call it a gift; I call it shameless rationalization for another piece. I have a problem, I know. Well, my dear friends, these scrumptious bars have 3 cups of oats which definitely qualifies them as a healthy treat. I need to say no more.

My girlfriends polished these off in record time which was wonderful as it removed all temptation for me to have "just one more bite." Next time I will try substituting caramel and pecans in place of the peanuts to jazz these bars up with a couple of my favorite ingredients. If you've ever indulged in an Oat Fudge Bar from Starbucks these have a very similar resemblance to that delicious taste. Enjoy!

"Eggs. Eggs are in chocolate cake! And milk! Oh goody! And wheat! That's nutrition!"
Bill Cosby


Chocolate Oatmeal Almost Candy Bars
From: Baking: From My Home To Yours

Ingredients

For the oatmeal layer:
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup salted honey roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

For the chocolate layer:
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp unsalted butter
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup salted honey roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Grease the sides of the pan with butter.

To make the oatmeal cookie layer, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl.  Whisk to blend. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter on medium-high speed until it is soft and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Blend in the vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Mix in the oats and peanuts with a rubber spatula until evenly combined.

Reserve 1½ cups of the mixture. Place the remaining dough in the prepared pan and press over the bottom of the pan in an even layer.

To make the chocolate layer, combine the condensed milk, chocolate chips, butter and salt in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until the mixture is warm and the chocolate chips and butter are melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and peanuts.

Pour the warm chocolate mixture over the oatmeal cookie layer and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Crumble the remaining oatmeal cookie mixture and scatter evenly over the top of the chocolate.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the chocolate layer is starting to pull away from the sides of the pan. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely. Cut into bars as desired and serve.

67 comments:

  1. those look awesome! :3 thanks for sharing this recipe.

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  2. Oh YUM! And I'm with you ... 3 cups of oat WHAT! Definitely a breakfast food!
    oxoxox
    Denalee

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  3. I have a recipe very similar to this which I LOVE. We eat them warm with vanilla ice cream---heavenly! And then have you tried the lemon variation? The oatmeal part is the same, but the filling is just a can of sweetened condensed milk mixed with 1/2 c. of lemon juice and some lemon rind. They taste like little lemony cheesecake bites. Delicious. :) Yours look simply beautiful!

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  4. Yummy! This blog is amazing! I love this ♥
    take care, xx.

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  5. similar to a starbucks oat fudge bar?! oh man, i gotta try this! :)

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  6. Mmmm anything with chocolate is the best! And since these are considered healthy, I must try.

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  7. Oh gosh, those chocolate oatmeal bars look too good to be true! I am now totally craving some dessert. May have to try this recipe out some time!

    invasionista

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  8. These look delicious! I love your blog and am browsing your recipes now. You've got yourself a new follower :)
    xx

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  9. Love your blog, these look delicious and I think they are nutritious too!

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  10. OMG, I want these bad! Thanks for commenting on my blog, yours is fabulous too! Following now :)

    xx

    www.adventuresinfashion.ca

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  11. YUM! hungry now :)


    - Maria, from L.A.

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  12. I love shameless rationalization. Works for me too. Hey, it works for granola bars - most of them are not that healthy either. Your oatmeal healthy bars look delicious!

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  13. These look absolutely scrumptious and I so have a weakness for cookies. Cosby's dead on - there's healthy components to to desserts! =) Thanks for sharing this, I think I might just have all the ingredients in the house, so now I know what I'll be treating myself with this weekend! =)

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  14. What a wonderful recipe. I've bookmarked this to make when my grandsons visit. Your other recipes are also great. I hope you are having a wonderful day. Blessings...Mary

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  15. these look so delish!!! I am the same way, always trying to pick out the healthy parts and focus on those rather than the chocolate :)

    xox Vicky
    Bikinis & Passports

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  16. So yummy! I will have to try out this recipe on the weekend! xx

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  17. So beautifully photograaphed and how enticing they look, too. I can image a mouthful of this deliciousness;-)

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  18. Thanks for the lovely comment :)!

    oh, I really want to bake now! that looks delicious.

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  19. forgot to say that the shirt is second hand.. :)

    I will bake today, that's for sure :D great blog

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  20. YUM YUM YUM .. they look just TOO good to pass up!

    *Happy Weekend*
    Erika

    ~Tiptoe Butterfly~

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  21. ha, healthy... i just wrote about oatmeal cookies on my blog but i don't think there was anything healthy about them. i love the sound of that chocolate layer in your bars recipe.

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  22. These look so fantastic. I want one. Or five. =)
    Great post! Thanks for stopping by! I just did a post about picnics... you can bring these if you're coming...

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  23. I'm with you! "Oh, it's got oats in it? It's healthy!" Oh, this super creamy pasta primavera? Don't mind that, it's got veggies! LOL! Love it!

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  24. this looks so delicious!

    xx
    http://babejanefashion.blogspot.com/

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  25. so guess what? my roomies bfs are out of town this weekend so we're having a girlie night and we're making stuff from your blog! haha we wanted new things and i was all "I KNOW!" :)

    love ya!

    sara

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  26. Those look great!

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  27. This looks just so delicious!!! I'm hungry now ;D

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  28. You make me laugh because I do the SAME thing. It has fruit/oats/whole wheat flour so it must be healthy right? And peanuts. Peanuts are SUPER healthy. These look fantastic!

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  29. ahhhh my god these look so scrumptious. anddd i am so like you too haha with picking out all the healthy stuff and turning a blind eye to the naughty stuff.

    cant wait to try these :)
    xxx

    rofflear.blogspot.com

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  30. Oh wow, this looks so good! xo

    http://www.pearlslaceandruffles.com

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  31. Mary just wanted to say that I showed your blog to all my girl friends and we really concluded that you really rock...so I want to let to know that you are now officially included in my cooking list on my blog:)

    xo

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  32. I've made a version of these bars before. Knock-your-socks-off good, aren't they?!

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  33. Oh, those look heavenly...thanks for the recipe!

    Happy weekend, cheers: Evi

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  34. Scrumptious, darling!
    Another fab recipe!

    xoxox,
    CC

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  35. I agree, the oats make these sort of healthy :) They look fabulous- I would have a hard time not eating the whole pan!

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  36. I just discovered you and I'm obsessed. I am making these bars NOW. xo Mish


    www.themishdish.com

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  37. Oats you say? Sounds like a breakfast food to me.

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  38. A must try my son will love these...thanks for visiting me and bringing me to these :)

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  39. Wow - these look so yummy and amazing!

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  40. They look and sound amazing!

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  41. I am definitely a desert girl and these look spectacular! :)

    Luv, Friend in Fashion
    www.friendinfashion.blogspot.com
    x

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  42. ahhh my mouth is watering~~! yumm


    Anna Katrina
    http://passportglamour.blogspot.com

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  43. they looks so yummy! i might just try this out x

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  44. great blog! i love eating and cooking so I am your latest follower ;)
    CAtita
    http://catindreamland.blogspot.com/

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  45. Delicious! I'd rather have the caramel flavor too...this a great recipe as I'm always trying to find something to do with my plain flavored oatmeal!

    Thanks!
    Ashley
    http://www.honeysucklechic.com/

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  46. awwwwwwwwwww they look amazing!

    awesome post
    Keep in touch love, Kimberley xxxxKimboxKimboxKimbox

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  47. Really, these look amazing. I have a similar recipe, but without the peanuts- I love the addition! We are making them tonight, I'll report back! I loved the comment a few up with the lemon filling, but the chocolate just has to win tonight :)

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  48. These gorgeous bars would not last long in my home. What a delicious recipe.

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  49. Just made these and oh my goodness - delicious and deadly! After having a few I had to freeze the rest so save my waistline. Thank you for sharing it with me. I will be keeping this recipe absolutely! Have a beautiful day. =)

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  50. OOOOOOOOH these look sooooooo good! Delicious! As everything else you posted :) I am definately following and going to try to make as many meals as possible :D

    XoXo
    Fiamma

    http://fashion-thrill.blogspot.com/

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  51. I made these last night and they are fantastic! Thanks ever so much for posting them. How do you like the book in general? Are all the recipes you've tried this great? Who doesn't love Dorie . . .

    www.TheTableRunner.com

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  52. this bars look just tasty, have to make them. :)







    thank you for your lovely comment, you can follow my blog here if you like:
    http://shelikesfashion.blogspot.com/

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  53. Love your rationalization! Very funny. These look delicious...and, since they're healthy....I might have to make them! :) Just added your RSS feed. See you around!

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  54. oh my lord, these look so good..I'm mouthwatering right now! Also, I like the way you think ;)

    xoxo, Ashley @ freehoney.blogspot.com

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  55. wow! That looks absolutely divine! I must make these!!

    xo

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  56. Mary, I don't know if you saw, but I had to highlight this recipe on my Thursday Treasures. From my Lijit info page, people are clicking on your name like crazy! Fantastic recipe again. I shared them with some family and they love me a bit more now. =)

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  57. ooh, these look amazing! I'll have to try them soon, I think bar cookies are especially great to serve a crowd.

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  58. I know what I'm making today...
    http://amusebouche-caitlin.blogspot.com/

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  59. I am just like you - I can justify any dessert, anytime:) these bars look gorgeous, and just what I was looking for to make for Father's Day picnic basket:)

    btw,
    would you consider sending these in for the Magic Bullet contest/giveaway hosted on my blog? they look so good, and are perfect for the event:)

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  60. These look gorgeous. Can't believe I only just found your site. I'll be checking in regularly!

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